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Piper Update – Attorney Bell Breaks His Silence

While COSR attorney, John Bell refused to offer a statement on August 11, today Bell broke his silence “NBC4 Investigates”, a newscast aired on NBC4i on Aug. 14.

Bell stated:

“It’s a lot of fuss about a stray.”

He continued later in the newscast saying,

“Central ohio sheltie rescue is the owner of the dog now but we would .. that …that question of legal ownership doesn’t mean that the dog would not necessarily go back to someone who had him before
or had her before. Um it … it just … that’s just a legal question that once the dog comes out of the
shelter to the rescue, it’s the rescue’s dog and that’s the end of it.”

Lloyd Cohen, Covatch’s attorney, when asked to respond to the NBC4i newscast, issued the following statement:

“Watching the NBC4i broadcast of Piper’s story at the same time I was moved by Veronica’s hurt – I heard the rescue’s real position as a claim of absolute ownership and I still had to ask myself … why?”

That is the question we are all asking! Why? The second question we are asking is Where is PIPER!

Edrie Blackwelder has owned, loved and bred Samoyeds beginning in 1970. She is also active in Rescue of dogs (both purebred and mixed breeds), cats, horses, birds and wildlife.
She ardently fights for the protection of both animals and the rights of those who own them. Her passion also includes protecting the health of the planet we share with all creatures.
She is active in disaster preparedness through CERT program, ARES and the Large Animal Evacuation team in her home area.
You can follow her writing on Dailykos here. http://www.dailykos.com/blog/edrie/

Because Piper had a microchip, I consider her an identified dog with a loving home to go to. I do not believe that the Shelter had ownership rights therefore there is no possibility of a transfer of ownership rights to COSR or anyone else! Veronica Covatch and Michelle Wilson are the legal owners and at no time did they relinquish their ownership rights of the Sheltie named “Piper.”

If this is a lot a bout a stray? Then why did COSR make it so? His statement shows no sign of compassion for how Piper, her owner, and other people who love her feel. This is the worst statement he could’ve made. A reputable rescue, of which I’ve been a part of in many places, would never have done something this despicable. The Sheltie Rescues I’ve dealt with have had great compassion for the dogs and an owner who had been separated. They always tried very hard to reunite owner and their best friends. This situation is a travesty. You don’t keep a dog from a loving family just because you want to. It’s theft! # Bring Piper Home!

“It’s a lot of fuss about a stray.” The problem with this statement is that Piper was a stray for approximately 24 hours –

As soon as her owner stepped forward and provided proof that she owned the dog Piper was no longer a stray. There is also the hurdle that the shelter needs to explain why they did not follow their own regulations for how long they are to hold “strays” to allow owners to Find an reclaim their dogs.

If the Shelter had followed their rules – this whole situation would never have happened. To what end does a rescue feel the right thing to do is to OWN a dog that they know has a good home to go to – there is no justification.

Thank you Best in Show Daily for continuing to cover this story. It is important to know that all of us who love our dogs are just one “rescue” away from a huge mess.
The version of events told by the COSR side is sooo different from anything else I read. That poor dog.
Please continue to keep us updated. It is important to be informed.

I do get a very strong feeling this attorney is trying to shut us all up. Trying to make us all feel threatened at expressing our feelings and our fears about Piper’s whereabouts and well-being. I do hope that blogging and writing and posting comments are not in violation of the First Amendent, but then, I don’t understand his interpretation of “the facts” so perhaps anything is possible. Meanwhile, I just read about a Bulldog that was stolen several years ago, but was found and thanks to a microchip, was returned to her (overjoyed) rightful owner despite years spent in a puppy mill churning out puppies. The shelter that took her in did not try to keep her after she was found, abandoned by the puppy mill. She was returned to the chip owner. Isn’t that the way it is supposed to work?